Diabetic cleared of dropping snack wrapper

Ricky Price was charged with one count of littering after he was spotted dropping two pieces of “what looked like a chocolate wrapper” in Wolverhampton on May 4.

But the 51-year-old was found not guilty by magistrates in the city after they heard how Mr Price doesn’t even eat snacks or chocolate – because of his Type two diabetes.

The only piece of evidence offered by Wolverhampton City Council was a picture of Price’s furniture removal van, which council worker Shaun Brown admitting taking on his phone while driving. The court also heard how the street was strewn with litter as it sits near the entrance to a refuse site. After hearing an hour of evidence from both sides at yesterday’s hearing, magistrates found Mr Price not guilty.

Presiding magistrate Martin Fiddler said: “There’s photographic evidence but all that highlights was that the van was there which Mr Price didn’t dispute. He has diabetes which means he wouldn’t eat in the cab.”

Price, of Westfield Road, Sedgley, told magistrates during the trial: “I don’t touch chocolate and sweets at all. It happened where the lorries go and dump all their rubbish. That street is littered with rubbish anyway. I’m saying I never threw anything out of the window. I’ve never denied owning the van or being in the street but I’m denying throwing paper out. It never happened.”

Council contracts manager Mr Brown told the court he witnessed Mr Price put his hand out of the window of his van and drop what looked like a chocolate wrapper in Crown Street and Foxes Lane. He said: “If there was any doubt in my mind I wouldn’t have filled in the paperwork.”

After the case Mr Price described the decision to prosecute him as a “farce”. He sad: “I’m just happy it’s over. To me, a man’s word is his word and I didn’t do it.”